


Beach City isn't Burning

by InsominiacArrest



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demons, F/F, Magic, Witches, m for language and some other junk to come
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 00:37:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6400498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsominiacArrest/pseuds/InsominiacArrest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beach City is one of the few places demons, witches and humans live side by side, all instituted by the city-witch Rose Quartz, unfortunately things seem to be falling apart as Rose Quartz is nowhere to be found</p><p>Seven strangers are on the path to figure out the problems with the infected city and their own relations</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beach City isn't Burning

**Author's Note:**

> okay, I'm uploading this again because I didn't like the first version, it's all different and junk now

Ruby put her back up against the wall and crept down the hallway, she points her crossbow at the thick darkness in front of her and edges forward.

Seeing nothing she closes her eyes and listens to the drip of a leaky faucet and the chirping of the crickets on the outside of the school, no scuffling though.

 

She rounds the corner quickly, twisting to face the next hall with her weapon propped to spring. She lowers it when she finds nothing.

“So R3-girl,” a voice accosts her from her earpiece, she narrows her eyes, “how’d the date go?” There was a sneaking humor behind the words.

“Fine.” She replies shortly. “Keep your heads up girls,” she says to her fellow hunters.

“Pfft, did you get any?” A second snickering voice joins the first.

“I got a head ache. This is a class two reported. Stay on task.” She grumbles into her ear piece.

“Oh she totally blew it.”

“Did you confess your feelings of undying love on the first date again?” They cackle into her ear drum.

“Mwuah, mwuah,” they make kissy noises into their mics.

“Fuck you guys,” she says listlessly, that only makes them laugh harder.

“No, but really,” R1 says quickly, “you gotta tell us about this date.”

“Or are you trying to get after that mystery girl again?”

“It was fine. Like I said, she was a paramedic, a red-head, and not an idiot like some people...she liked the fact I was head of the demon-department of the police. As in right now, head of two-knuckleheads who need to sweep the science and art halls.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just--”

“Sshhh,” R2 suddenly hushes them in the earpiece, “cafeteria. First floor.” She says quickly, getting down to business.

Ruby perks up and then proceeds to run down a set of stairs that lead to a back hallway of the empty school.

She rounded another corner to spot her comrade positioned behind one of the thick doors leading to the cafeteria. Her face is unusually still and devoid of humor, even for during battle.

Ruby approaches carefully and immediately catches the unmistakable sound of snuffling, and heavy footsteps scraping across tile in the next room.

“It’s human,” R2 mouths to her gently, her face as stiff as stone. Ruby’s gut twists into knots and she nods.

“Are you in position R1?” She whispers into her communicator.

“Roger.” Is the quick reply and Ruby gives the orders. In complete synchronization they burst into the cafeteria, silver-pointed arrows at the ready.

“Rrrr,” a beast turns on them. It has a human face but it hunching over like the wolf, it's infected red-eyes bulging out and nose contorting into a snout. It scrapes on the floor and snaps at them, immediately throwing itself forward.

“To the right,” they tumble to the right and surround the beast, “skewer the bastard!”

“Careful!” Ruby warns them as the beast launches itself at R1, claws barely scathing across the ghost of where she had been standing.

The beast twists towards Ruby’s voice and lunges at her, it’s human features obscured by tufts of hair growing over it’s contorted face.

Ruby braces herself, the beast rushes her, she taps on the ruby placed in her gauntlet, the witches-item springs up a thick glove that shields her arm.

It tears at the fabric, and Ruby uses her other fist to bop it on the nose, it reels back.

“Back up!” R1 and R2 toss a silver rope around the werewolf's legs, it topples to the floor and Ruby wrinkles her nose at the creature. It struggles against it’s tethers, base instincts contorting its limbs and face into a mask of agony. It yowls at the stinging silver and Ruby descends to throw an orange powder to the air around it, the light dies in it's glowing eyes and it passes out.

“This is the third one this fortnight.” She observes mostly to herself.

R2 crosses her arms and snorts, “that’s what idiots like this get for messing with dark magic.” She says dismissively.

Ruby shakes her head, “I don’t know...This doesn’t seem like that.”

"You're worrying too much...wrinkles will stop you from getting any more dates." They tease again and Ruby rolls her eyes.

“Nose goes for who has to carry it back!” R1 smacks herself in the face to get to her nose and Ruby is left to hall the wolf back.

They push on each others shoulders and leave the school quickly.

“It’s a good thing your hunting skills are better than your flirting skills.” R2 ruffles her hair and Ruby swats her hand away.

“Screw you,” she breaths softly as she drags the wolf behind her.

“These kids are just lucky we got to this dog-toy before it got to them."

“Yeah,” Ruby’s mouth goes sideways, “these demons are really mucking with the city all over the place right now.”

“Haven’t they always?” R1 comments, “the great Rose Quartz got us in a bind. Can’t live with them, but also _have to_ live with the hell-bastards.”

She shakes her head, “you’re wearing witch gear right now.” She points out. "That's technically demon tech."

“Witches ain’t shit.” R1 sing, “we do the real work.”

R2 shakes her head, “my GF’s a witch, watch it...”

They continue to bicker and Ruby can’t shake the feeling the city was staring at her as she walks down the poorly lit sidewalks back to the precinct. It was long night, a bad date and annoying coworkers.

She glances back at the softly shut eyes of the possessed human, her insides twist and she can’t shake the feeling her job was getting more complicated.

*********

Amethyst remembers when she was a kid, she came to class with a largest jacket she could shrug on and an expansive floppy hat. She told everyone she was a magic dragon that granted wishes.

They oohed and ahed at her, the first couple of days were a breeze. They brought her m-and-m’s which she piled on her desk and told them them it was her hoard.

She roared and showed the girls in the third floor bathroom her tail and pointed teeth. The m-and-m’s kept coming.

Sister Vidalia asked her if she made any friends and for once she could say yes, and at least she believed herself. And trouble only came two weeks into the term.

“We know what you are.” She was in the second floor restroom when an upperclassman approached her.

“Yeah.” Amethyst glanced at her dismissively, “awesome. What are you?”

“I’m just saying.” She asserts as she dries her hands, “you should hide your tail.” She had swirling pink hair and a lithe physique, like a bean-pole with swan arms.

Amethyst tilts her head at her, “I’m a dragon.”

“You’re a demon.”

[ _shove her_. _Right into the toilet_ ]

Amethyst puts her hands over her ears before glancing back up, “got a problem pinky?” She growls, trying to ignore her tingling fingers and any whispers in the back of her mind.

“No.” She stands up straight and looks Amethyst in the eye, “but some people will.” Her face goes soft, “Rose Quartz made everything _good_ , and _right_ , but she can’t be everywhere.”

Amethyst frowns, “Rose Quartz is going to adopt me you know.” She asserts, “that’s the kind of lady she is.”

That got the upperclassmen’s attention. “That’s too bad. I am going to marry her.”

Amethyst snorts, “you?” Her voice cracks, “I don’t think so.”

[ _that’s it, tell her, break her_ ] She tries to close her ears again.

She bawls her fists up and stands up straighter, “I’ll be the best witch in the city. She’ll see it. So will you.”

Amethyst shakes her head, “are you even part of a coven?" She snorts, "Good luck pinky.”

“Pearl.” She asserts, “my staff is a pearl.”

Amethyst blinks at her, “what’s your real name then?” She asks suddenly.

Pearl looks her up and down, “does it matter?”

Amethyst frowns, “I’m not a full demon. I won’t do anything with it.”

Pearl shakes her head, “It doesn’t matter.” She throws the paper towel away, “you should hide your tail.” She asserts again, Amethyst clutches at her spiked purple tail and watches as the girl leaves.

A couple weeks later parents find out that a half-demon was going to school with their children, kids dropped out like flies, they couldn’t go to school with an orphan with little purple scales on her face.

Amethyst was no longer brought m-and-m’s, and she scowled at the pink-haired witch in the hallways every day.

*********

Several years later, Amethyst is shrugging on another oversize coat and popping up her collar at the cool wind as she wandered down a sidewalk thick with bodies and the beady eyes of other demons.

The air was heavy that day, an oppressive yellow smog that clung to her clothes and hair, Amethyst pads along with a determination in her gate. It had been one of those days.

She entered into a bar, dusky and not very crowded at that early hour, she fixes her eyes on the floor and walks. She moves with purpose to the first open stool.

She twitches her tail before knocking on the wood to get the bartender's attention, “one fire prairie.”

[ _good choice. Throw it at someone._ ]

 _Shut up,_ she massages her temples, _I don’t have time for you today._

Amethyst is swinging her legs back and forth when she hears someone approaching.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Amethyst raises her eyebrows and turns, “if it isn’t my favorite pooka.”

Amethyst shakes her head but quirks up a grin, “Jasper,” she turns in the direction of a large woman standing in the door. “You smell as bad as I remember.”

Jasper saddles up next to, “that’s rugged musk sweetheart.”

Amethyst waves at her, “I see you still have that fashion accessory of the year.”

Jasper’s pointed teeth shine beneath a thick muzzle that gleams in the low light of the bar.

“It’s bitch to drink with, but it does the trick to scare some humans out of their minds at first sight.”

Amethyst rolls her eyes, “can I get you a drink? Or are you more into sucking the life out of parties as a pass time?”

“No, no, buy me a free drink, I insist.” She laughs, and the bartender, a mist-demon, brings them over a thick bear with a straw. Amethyst snickers at her as she sips at the beverage through the instrument.

“You should not have bit that guy dude is all I'm saying.” She assesses as she taps on the side of the muzzle.

Jasper shrugs, “talk shit, get bit.”

“You demon.” She laughs boisterously.

[ _She’s weak. She didn’t even finish him_ ]

Amethyst tips back the entire fire-whiskey shot into her mouth, it burns like it wants to burn a hole in her esophagus and she shudders under the sensation.

Jasper elbows her, “never get registered Ame. They’ll do this kind of shit to you.”

Amethyst smirks. “I don’t plan to. Though, I also don’t bite people.”

“You take a chunk out of one asshole and suddenly you're a public menace.” Jasper looks off into the distance, “makes me miss the underworld.”

“No it doesn’t.”

She eyes her, “You’ve never been there.”

“And I don’t plan to.” Amethyst knocks on the bar for another drink, “I hear the lighting is terrible.”

“Yeah, well, the drinks are better.”

Amethyst snickers again, “why come back then?”

The demon taps on the table with her enormous fingers, “got shit to do.”

Amethyst takes another drink in her hand, “well if you ever go back...So hi to my dad.”

Jasper snorts, “never.”

Amethyst and Jasper drink in silence before discussing the new neighborhoods being built in the demon district.

“You know you don’t have to live with us here, the low lifes.” Jasper comments, “glammer spells work pretty easy for half-demons. Make you look human.”

Amethyst bites her tongue, “I have my own agenda.”

Jasper stretches, “well, you better get quick into disappearing of some sort. That Pearl women is after you.” Jasper says as she looks over Amethysts shoulder.

Amethyst taps on Jaspers muzzle again. “And what? Get registered and my own fun-trap? I don’t think so. Rose Quartz’s dog can eat it.”

“Better get her something to chew on then, because there she is.” Jasper points to a pink haired women with a staff inlaid with a pearl.

Amethyst scowls, “I have to go.”

She jumps down from her stool and retreats towards the door. “Do you want the rest of this?” Jasper asks after her.

“Knock yourself out.” Amethyst sneaks towards the exit.

She watches the assistant of the city-witch, Pearl, talking to a ghost-sorcerer in the corner, Amethyst pauses to watch her back before the sorcerer points at her. Shit.

She runs out the door and onto the damp street.

“Amethyst!”

Amethyst scampers down the busy sidewalk, but can feel the white aura of the other women trailing her.

“Wait!” Amethyst feels the tug of a spell slowing her feet to a molasses levels, she lashes out at it with her own purple swirls of magic. Pearl overcomes with a sheet of blinding ivory light and Amethyst stops in place.

“I don’t feel like registering Pearl!” She outbursts. “I’m _not_ dangerous.”

“I know.” Pearl approaches her in her loose robe and a stony expression on her face, “I need your help.” She says point blank.

Amethyst’s eyebrows skyrocket, “me?”

[ _She’s lying._ _Devour her._ ] Amethyst bites her lip.

Pearl nods back hesitantly, “the city…” She starts, and then takes a deep breath. "You are bridge between two worlds of this city."

“I’m nothing.” She growls, “leave me alone.”

"It's more complicated than it was before." There was a an edge to Pearl's words, like her soft angles had been scuffed into fine points.

"I don't care."

"You should," Pearl looks down at the ground, “Rose Quartz is missing.”

Amethyst reels back, her blood running cold. “Oh.”

“Oh.” Pearl repeats, “I need your help." She says, "and," her shoulders slump, "we can’t be odds forever.”

Amethyst bites at her outreached hand, “stuff it Pearl.” She struggles out of the catacomb of white aura and starts walking off again, protecting herself in a swirl in dark purple so she can't ensnare her again, “good luck with your boss.”

Rose Quartz was missing…Rose Quartz was missing. Amethyst starts to run, Pearl calls after her but she doesn’t slow down.

************

 _Clunk, clunk_ , a knocking comes at her door.

Peridot goes to answer it in just her alien boxers and a moth eaten t-shirt, mostly because she had lost control of her life and honestly she had been grappling with the entire point of ‘pants’ for awhile now.

 _Clunk_ , _clunk_ , “delivery!” The knocking continues.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she insists as she scrambles to get her money out of her wallet before she opened the door so she and the delivery girl wouldn't have to just stand there awkwardly as she thumbed through her cash.

“This pie will get cold you know,” the girl knocks again and Peridot rolls her eyes and opens it.

"Calm your tits." She says she swings it ajar, only for the words to die in her mouth.

The girl on the other side made her reconsider foregoing ideas about personal dignity when answering the door (ie wearing clothes, brushing hair, getting ripped). The young women had blue hair that framed her matching electric-blue eyes and the air of an annoyed rabbit with a very pretty petite nose and full lips.

She held a pizza in one arm and a staff with bristles on the end in the other hand. Peridot blinks, she was a witch.

“I know you.” She says slowly, surprising herself by the words.

“Um, I don’t think so,” the girl says sharply while eyeing her up and down. "'less I've delivered to you before. But I'd think I remember those glasses." Peridot pushes her glasses back up on her nose and squints at her.

“No. I _know_ you,” Peridot repeats before grabbing at her thin shoulders and pulling her forward. “You’re Lapis Lazuli.”

"Uh...yeah." She trails off and she stares wide-eyed at her and then eyes dart to her staff, “but, I mean...that’s the jewel on my staff, that’s not so hard to see.”

 

“But, but,” Peridot’s brain fumbles around in the dark, like there was searching for a light switch on a wall she couldn’t quite grasp at. “Can you come on?” She asks earnestly.

“No.” The women replies firmly, “and your pizza is $11.99.”

Peridot yanks at her hair, “you don’t understand!”

Lapis shakes her head, “you got that right bucko.”

 

“You can have the entire pizza. Double tip. I need this,” she gestures around frantically at whatever 'this' was.

Lapis shifts from foot to foot, “I don’t make it habit of going to the creepy girls in their underwear houses.”

Peridot gnaws on her bottom lip, “aren’t you a witch? Blast me if I go Hannibal on you.”

Lapis snorts, shoulders shaking as she laughs lightly to herself, “Hannibal, huh?” She eyes the pizza in her arms, “I do like pepperoni.”

She steps into Peridot’s place and Peridot feels a wave of relief, like she was getting somewhere.

Lapis looks around, “your place is a dump.” She comments off the bat.

Peridot scowls, “I have my reasons.” Like having no reason to care anymore.

“Is one of those reasons being a huuuge mess?”

“Speak for yourself, delivery girl.” This felt like it was going to be grating, but immutably deja vu-like.

“Here,” Peridot leads her into the living room, “I was in the middle of Camp Pining Hearts marathon. But I have something I want to go over.”

Lapis immediately flops down on her couch and props open the pizza box, “tell me. Tell me all your problems,” she crinkles her nose happily, “I love human little secrets and shit. It’s like witch catnip.”

 

Peridot shakes her head, “I don’t think so. My secrets are pretty shitty,” she eases herself into the chair like an old man next to Lapis who was working on her first slice of pizza, “I lost my memories."

 

Lapis’s eyebrows raise at that, “oh?”

 

“Chunks of it at least,” Peridot sighs, “most of it.”

 

“That sucks my dude.” Lapis slaps her on the back, “my tragedy is smelling like pizza-grease 24/7.”

Peridot blinks at her sadly, “are you sure you don’t me?” Her voice is faint and barely wafts out of her throat.

 

Lapis turns away and stares at the frozen TV, “I don’t know what to tell you.”

 

“But you’re a witch?” Peridot asks hopefully, “I’ve talked to a ton of witches. But,” she shifts from side to side, “maybe this just means…you're the one who can help.”

 

“I can’t help you.” Lapis says shortly, her face sobering up, going hard. “Hell, I probably shouldn’t be in here.” She talks through a mouthful of pizza, Peridot deflates.

“What do you mean?” She snaps.

Lapis’s eyes suddenly focus on her, glowing blue in the dark and shine of the TV, “I can tell you this… you’re aura is fucked up.” Peridot shivers from the contact, Lapis’s magic reaching out to her like a warm tongue rasping over her outsides, “Someone has messed with you. A lot. You’re green.”

“Green?”

“Green. Like illness, confusion. It’s some wacked out magic.” She says simply before frowning, “I should go.”

 

“You can’t just leave on that!” Peridot says with an outburst as she throws her arms in the air, “I know you. And that's a big deal for me."

Lapis shakes her head and puts the pizza down, speaking softly, “maybe some things are better left forgotten.” She gives her a sad smile and Peridot is suddenly wholly certain this surly women knew something. "Memories suck is what I'm saying." She finishes.

“I’ll pay you.”

Lapis opens a window, “I’m actually on pay right now. Gotta get back to the grind.” She frays her staff out into a broom, bristles spouting out the end.

“Please,” Peridot approaches slowly.

Lapis salutes her, "Try the city-witch, she's in charge of handling citizens."

Peridot shakes her head, "I can't get a hold of her." Rose Quartz was like the patron saint of the city, annoyingly unreachable at that.

Lapis stares at her blankly, "well." She smirks, " _forget_ about it then. You'll be fine, boxers."

"No," but she was already jumping out the window, hoping on her broom in mid-air and jetting off into the night.

Peridot’s watches her dot disappear down the streets and then lets her arms fall to her side and she glances at her half eaten pizza. She bawls her fists and kicks the leg of her table in frustration.

Peridot sits back down with her head in hands and curses the city-witch, the one that was commissioned to fix her, and Lapis Lazuli, the blue-haired witch who knew something and jumped out of her living room window.

She tears at her hair and thinks about the city sirens and cat yowls in the noisy night.

**Author's Note:**

> insomniac-arrest.tumblr.com


End file.
